Solvay Engineering Plastics has developed a new Technyl range for the demanding environment of automotive electronics.

According to Solvay, this new family of both unfilled and glass fibre reinforced, and heat-stabilised engineering plastics will have a specified and controlled halogen content tailored to fit sensitive electrical and electronic automotive applications.

The use of electronic equipment in automotive engineering is growing rapidly with a prospective growth of 12 percent per year. “Uncompromising reliability of sensitive electrical and electronic applications, such as sensors, relays, bobbins, chargers and control units, is increasingly important to automotive manufacturers,” said Dr. James Mitchell, Global Automotive Market Director for Solvay Engineering Plastics. In all these cases, customised Technyl grades for electronic applications are demonstrating excellent retention of properties, including high chemical and hydrolysis resistance, even after long-term exposure to elevated temperatures, while at the same time enduring demanding mechanical loads.

“Engineered polyamide compounds have firmly established their role as versatile materials with an excellent cost/performance ratio in the hostile environment of the engine compartment of modern vehicles. Continuing miniaturisation and engine downsizing in these application areas have created new challenges in terms of heat performance and electrolytic corrosion resistance,” Dr. Mitchell added.

The broader use of electronic components in automotive engineering has resulted in a stronger focus on the interaction of conductor paths and over-moulding materials used as carriers and electric insulators. Chemical additives as commonly-used inorganic heat stabilisers tend to interact with metallic alloys on conductor paths and reduce the isolation properties of the polymer, potentially causing electrolytic corrosion and subsequent malfunctions, notably in hot and humid Asian climates.

“Due to specific additive systems, our new Technyl formulations can help reduce this risk with significant benefits over competing engineering thermoplastics and more expensive specialties,” concluded Dr. Mitchell.

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